Scotland ‘will select independence’, insists First Minister Humza Yousaf as new coverage paper launched

Scotland’s First Minister has insisted the Yes marketing campaign would win “comprehensively” if a second referendum on independence was held tomorrow.

Despite a number of polls placing assist for independence at lower than 50%, Humza Yousaf made the declare as he printed the newest paper from the Scottish authorities to make the case for leaving the UK.

The doc proposes an unbiased Scotland would undertake an analogous system for citizenship as Ireland, permitting folks born elsewhere to use to grow to be Scottish residents if they’ve a Scottish guardian.

The paper additionally proposes that EU residents residing in Scotland or the UK earlier than 31 December 2020 could be entitled to obtain settled standing in Scotland, and kids born in Scotland after independence would mechanically be a Scottish citizen if at the very least one among their dad and mom is a Scottish, British or Irish citizen, or has settled standing in Scotland.

Mr Yousaf, who described himself as a “proud Scottish Pakistani”, mentioned the “welcoming” and “inclusive” strategy being set out might appeal to extra folks to Scotland and assist deal with the demographic problem the nation faces, with an more and more aged inhabitants and fewer folks of working age.

He mentioned: “We know that one of the biggest challenges we face is that demographic challenge, and therefore having more people of working age coming here contributing, living, studying, working in Scotland, I think is a good thing.”

He insisted: “If there was a referendum tomorrow, we might win it and win it comprehensively.

“That’s also part of the reason why of course I’m publishing these papers, because they help to make the argument, give people the information they need to make that informed decision about independence.”

He additionally insisted he’s “confident” the Scottish authorities will be capable to proceed to publish papers in favour of independence, regardless of Simon Case, the cupboard secretary and head of the civil service, revealing earlier this month that civil servants north of the border may very well be issued with new steering on such work inside weeks.

Mr Yousaf mentioned: “I’m confident in our position in terms of the publication of these papers.

“But I feel it additionally speaks volumes that those that oppose independence are attempting to close down the controversy as a substitute of bringing ahead their proposals for sustaining the union. They’re extra obsessive about making an attempt to close down our case.”

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Scottish Conservative structure spokesman Donald Cameron mentioned: “People throughout Scotland might be appalled that Humza Yousaf is specializing in yet one more self-indulgent paper touting independence. It is the mistaken precedence on the worst attainable time.”

He branded the paper a “blatant misuse of public cash and assets”.

Mr Cameron said: “Rather than losing taxpayers’ cash and civil servants’ time on pushing a divisive, celebration political agenda, a robust first minister could be concentrating on Scots’ actual priorities – cost-of-living difficulties, unacceptable NHS ready instances and the ferries disaster.”

Scottish Labour structure spokesman Neil Bibby mentioned the newest paper comes whereas the “NHS is in chaos and people are struggling to make ends meet during the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades”.

He mentioned the Scottish authorities is being “distracted” from coping with these points by its “constitutional obsession”, and mentioned: “Humza Yousaf is completely out of touch with Scotland’s priorities and bereft of new ideas.”

But Mr Yousaf nonetheless that independence is “inherent” to tackling points such because the cost-of-living disaster.

He mentioned: “Because we don’t have independence, we’re suffering austerity from a Westminster government that we didn’t elect. We’re suffering from a hard Brexit that we did not vote for. We’re suffering from a cost-of-living crisis that has been imposed upon us.

“So independence truly is central to the cost-of-living disaster.”